Can breast implants stop a speeding bullet?

Photo: flickr/Mark TigheBreast implants might be controversial, but they could also save your life. In this study, forensic scientists shot bullets through saline breast implants into ballistics gel, which is a material that mimics human flesh. They found that the implants significantly slowed down the bullets, reducing their penetration into the tissue below. Of course, the implants don't survive the shooting, but they might give the person they're inside of a better chance!A Ballistics Examination of Firearm Injuries Involving Breast Implants "This ballistics study examines whether saline breast implants can decrease tissue penetration in firearm injuries. We hypothesize that the fluid column within a saline breast implant can alter bullet velocity and/or bullet pattern of mushrooming. The two experimental groups included saline implants with 7.4 cm projection and a no implant group. The experimental design allowed the bullet to pass-through an implant and into ballistics gel (n = 10) or into ballistics gel without passage through an implant (n = 11). Shots that passed through an implant had 20.6% decreased penetration distance when compared to shots that did not pass-through an implant; this difference was statistically significant (31.9 cm vs. 40.2 cm, p < 0.001). Implant group bullets mushroomed prior to gel entry, but the no implant group mushroomed within the gel. Bullet passage through a saline breast implant results in direct bullet velocity reduction and earlier bullet mushrooming; this causes significantly decreased ballistics gel penetration." Related content: The best new tool to aid breast implant surgery? Shoelaces!Evolutionary trade-off between weapons and testes.Forensic scientists have begun using selfies for dental identification.